Chev Need to Knows

12 September 2025

Dear parents and carers,

I have spoken and written previously about the growing presence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in our daily lives and how it is reshaping the way we live, work, and learn. At Chevalier College, we are committed to preparing our students and staff to navigate this evolving landscape with confidence, responsibility, and creativity.

This year, under the leadership of Mr Ryan Noonan, Leader of Digital Technologies and Innovation, we have taken significant steps to build capacity across our school community. Mr Noonan has worked closely with teachers through targeted professional learning sessions and individualised co-planning to integrate AI tools into teaching and learning. These efforts have empowered staff to explore how AI can enable student engagement and deepen learning.

For students, Mr Noonan has facilitated a series of capacity-building workshops that focus on:

Understanding the current state of AI and the rapid pace of its development.
Clarifying expectations around AI use in assessments, including the use of the Chevalier AI Road Signs and the five levels of the AI Assessment Scale.
Exploring the risks associated with AI, such as privacy concerns, bias, and cognitive offloading, and learning strategies to mitigate these risks.
Harnessing the power of AI tools available to students, including Canva AI creation and Canva Code, ChatGPT, Google Gemini guided learning tools, and NotebookLM personalised AI study chatbots.

These sessions have already been delivered to Year 8 and Year 10 students, with Year 7 and Year 9 students scheduled to participate before the end of the term.

To support this work, Chevalier College has developed an Artificial Intelligence Policy. This policy provides a framework for the safe and responsible use of AI tools in our context. It aligns with the Australian Framework for Generative Artificial Intelligence in Schools and outlines our commitment to academic integrity, student wellbeing, and ethical technology use. The policy applies to all students using GenAI tools in classroom activities, homework and assessments.

You can view the full policy here.

As we continue to embrace the opportunities AI presents, our focus remains on ensuring that students are equipped not only with technical skills but also with the ethical understanding and discernment needed to use these tools wisely.

I thank you for your ongoing support as we guide our young people through this exciting and transformative era.

Warm regards,

Greg Miller

Principal

Upcoming Year 8 Retreats

Permission notes for the Year 8 Retreats have been sent home to parents via the Parent Lounge. Please note the following details:

Monday 15 Sept (Week 9) – 8.5 and 8.7

Where to Meet: Students should meet in front of the main Chapel.

Dress: Neat casual clothing with comfortable shoes for walking.

What to bring: Hat, sunscreen, water bottle.

Morning tea (muffin and fruit) and lunch (sandwich) will be provided. Students may wish to bring additional food.

Heartworks Movie Night – TONIGHT!

Film: Shrek

When: Friday 12 September

Time: 6.00pm – 8.00pm

Where: Sacre Coeur Lawn (weather permitting)

Cost: Gold coin donation

Popcorn, drinks and other snacks will be for sale.

All students who wish to attend must pre-register using the form in Student Notices.

Please bring a rug, picnic blanket, chair.

All proceeds to support Catholic Mission.

Central Australia Immersion – Year 11 2026

Chevalier College is offering an immersion to Central Australia with Red Earth for interested Year 11 2026 students. This tour offers enriching educational and cultural experiences to students.

An online Parent Information Evening is scheduled for 7pm Tuesday 16th September to provide families with the opportunity to learn more about the immersion and ask questions. Please register here.

Fiesta Foodies – High Schoolers

with The Community Cooking School

Tuesday September 30

This class is for our older cooks from 12 – 16 years

· Corn Tortillas with Pulled Chicken, guacamole & home made salsa

· Corn Ribs

· Oven baked churros with chocolate dipping sauce

Morning tea & lunch included (kids cook their own!). Left overs go home with their makers!

To book, please visit https://www.thecommunitycookingschool.org.au/product/fiestafoodies-12-16-years/

Sandy Abbey

Assistant Principal - Faith Formation and Mission

Enrolments

If you have a child in Years 7 – 11 who will be leaving the College at the end of this academic year, please send an email as soon as possible to enrolments@chevalier.nsw.edu.au. As per your enrolment contract, a full term's notice is required.

Please also be aware that:

If your child is planning to withdraw from the College to pursue an apprenticeship, we are required to sight signed apprenticeship documentation, a copy of which should be sent through to Enrolments.
If your child is planning to withdraw from the College to pursue employment, we are required to sight an employment contract showing a minimum of 25 hours, which should be sent through to Enrolments.

Year 7 2027 is almost at capacity, so if you have a child currently in Year 5 and you have not yet submitted an application, please do so without delay so your child does not miss out on a place.

Thank you,

Enrolments Office

Flexible Monday Parent Webinar

The next parent webinar for parents and carers of students who have recently completed their microcredential will take place at 7.00pm this coming Monday 15 September.

If your child would like to be approved to learn from home on Flexible Mondays, you will need to attend this webinar as the next step in providing permission.

Parent / carers of Year 9 students - next year, when your child commences Year 10, they will be eligible to learn from home on Flexible Mondays if every step of the approval process has been completed. If you would like to get on the front foot, please encourage your child to complete their microcredential soon, to help us manage the volume of requests at the end of the academic year. Once they complete their credential, you will receive an invitation to attend the next scheduled webinar in preparation for the start of next year.

Year 11 Preliminary Exam Timetable

Year 9 (2026) Subject Selections

Parents of Year 9 (2026) Students: the recording of the Subject Selection evening has been loaded onto Canvas, Student Central, for those who missed the evening or wish to watch again.

Rebecca Graham

Senior Assistant Principal - Learning & Teaching

Diverse Learning

Please find below an upcoming event for parents of neurodiverse students:

Positive Partnerships Autism Workshop: 23 September in Goulburn

Positive Partnerships is a government-funded program that offers free neuro-affirming workshops to parents/carers of autistic young people, including those on the pathway to identification.

This is a one day workshop in Goulburn on 23 September:

Visit the Positive Partnerships website for more details and to register:

https://www.positivepartnerships.com.au/workshop/?eventtemplate=69-1-day-parent-carer-workshop-nsw&event=2150

More information about workshop content:

https://www.positivepartnerships.com.au/workshops-online-learning/workshops

Eager to Help? Be a Reader/Writer Volunteer for HSC exams!

The College would be most grateful for adult volunteers to perform Reader/Writer duties during the upcoming examinations. If you cannot commit but wish to help, please pass on our request to suitable adults.

Who?

Adults who act as readers and writers must:

do so on a voluntary basis
have a volunteer Working with Children Check (free for volunteers, online application)
not be a relative or friend of the student or have a close relative sitting the same examination.

Readers may be approved for students whose diagnosed disability prevents them from independently reading and/or comprehending written questions. Writers may be approved for students with a diagnosed disability preventing them from independently communicating their responses in a handwritten format.

When?

The examination periods are listed below. Specific dates and times will be advised closer to the time.

Year 11 Preliminary examinations – 15 to 24 September
Year 12 HSC examinations – 16 October to 7 November

How?

If you are interested in volunteering your time, please click here to complete a short form, and our Diverse Learning Team will be in touch to discuss the duties further.

You are welcome to direct any questions to diverselearning@chevalier.nsw.edu.au.

Margaret Hampton

Leader of Learning - Diverse Learning

How to Manage your Teen's Expectations after Exams

We encourage parents and carers of Year 12 students to read the article below from REACHOUT, as their Year 12 students prepare for examination feedback.

https://parents.au.reachout.com/school-and-education/school-and-study/how-to-manage-teens-expectations-after-exams

Year 12 Study Opportunities at the Local Libraries

Wingecarribee Public Libraries are offering a range of opportunities to support HSC students in the lead-up to their exams.

HSC Study Spaces

The Old Town Hall building in Bowral and the Theatrette in Moss Vale Civic Centre will be open for dedicated study.
Old Town Hall will be available from 30 September – 10 October, while the Theatrette will be available Tuesdays and Thursdays during the holiday period.
Morning/afternoon tea will be provided daily while lunch will be provided on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

HSC Lock-In at Bowral Library

Tuesday 14 October, 6:30–9:00pm
After-hours study session with pizza provided.
Registrations are required via our TryBooking page: https://www.trybooking.com/DFOIO

Social Media

From December 10, 2025, social media platforms in Australia will be legally required to prevent under-16s from creating or maintaining accounts.

This legislation is not about punishment - it’s about protection, and signifies a national shift to prioritise giving give young people more time to grow, connect, and build resilience, before being handed over to systems designed for profit, not their wellbeing.

As a follow up from our earlier Parent Forum, we would like to provide some information on the upcoming legislation that will impact some of our students' social media use. The information comes from the lens of offering parent support delivered by Kirra Pendergast*, publisher of a support document titled, 'Parent and Carer’s Guide - The Australian 16+ Age Delay’.

Rather than providing you with an overwhelming volume of information in one sitting, we are releasing the guide in three sections over the next three weeks, and will then provide the entire article the week after.

*Kirra Pendergast has been a pioneer in Australia's cybersecurity and online safety sectors since the early 1990s. Kirra is the Founder and Principal Strategist of Safe on Social and Ctrl+Shft. She is an in-demand keynote speaker, expert witness, writer, and media commentator.

Kelly Walker

Assistant Principal - Wellbeing and Growth

Extra Curriculum Awards Evening - Wednesday 17 September

Parents and carers of students being recognised at the Extra Curriculum Awards Evening have been emailed an invitation on Thursday 11 September. We look forward to welcoming you and your children to the evening next week.

Summer Sports Teams and Uniforms

The announcement of summer sports teams has been postponed due to some sports requiring additional trials.

Teams will be announced via Student Café
Parent permission forms will be sent via Parent Orbit once teams have been announced.

Please see below for important dates.

Event	Sport	Date/Time
Training/Additional trials	All sports – All students registered are required to attend (including Year 11)	Week 9 Tuesday 16 September 3:45pm – 5:00pm Thursday 18 September 3:45pm – 5:00pm Week 10 NO TRAINING Week 1 Term 4 Training recommences
Team Announcements	All sports	By Wednesday 24 September*
Uniform Purchases	Girls Sports ONLY	Thursday 25 September – Break 1 (Cash or EFT only. No phone sales)
Uniform Purchases	Boys Sports ONLY	Friday 26 September – Break 1 (Cash or EFT only. No phone sales)
Permission notes due**	All Sports	Friday 26 September
Local Cricket Round 1	Junior Cricket	Week 1 Term 1 - Saturday 18 October
ISA Round 1	All excluding Junior Cricket	Week 2 Term 1 – Saturday 25 October

Coach Phillips

Extra Curriculum Coordinator

Uniform Transition

Year-specific communications have been sent to Years 7 - 9 via Parent Lounge and Orbit explaining the transition to the new uniform per year group.

As explained last week, Years 10 - 12 will not receive a separate communication, given that these students will complete their schooling in the current uniform. We encourage these students to take advantage of the current senior uniform sale in the Chev Shop (see below).

The specifics regarding the new uniform will be shared when the designs are finalised in Term 4 2025.

Summer Uniform

Term 4 is fast approaching and students are required to return to school in full summer uniform.

Please pop into the Chev shop during the term-time opening hours or during the holiday break. We will be opening over the break the on following days and times: